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Lord Winston: My Lords, what numbers of junior doctors are required in the Government's estimate, given the shortening of working hours in line with European practices?
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: My Lords, I do not have a specific figure relating to the increase in the number of junior doctors as a result of the Working Time Directive. However, we are expanding the number of medical school places by 1,000 on top of the 1,100 already announced. We also stated in the NHS Plan that by 2004 we shall have 1,000 more specialist registrars. With those increases and with the efforts made by individual NHS trusts to change and reform working practices, we are confident that we can meet the demands and pressures being placed upon us by the
Working Time Directive. However, it will of course take a considerable number of years to implement the changes fully.
Earl Howe: My Lords, how many doctors have been recruited from abroad since the publication of the NHS Plan?
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: My Lords, we have established a number of schemes in relation to recruiting doctors. The global recruitment campaign that we launched in August 2001 has resulted in more than 5,000 expressions of interest. Following that, 1,977 firm applications were received, and 705 have been sifted and considered suitable for employment in the NHS. We are now in a matching operation between those considered suitable for employment and individual NHS trusts. Various other schemes have come into operation. A series of French GPs have started work in south London and by the end of March next year we expect their number to reach 23. So far as concerns the international fellowship scheme, 26 offers of appointment have been accepted and we expect the majority to be in post by the end of the year. We also have evidence of four clinical teams who have started work in the NHS.
Renewable Energy
2.59 p.m.
Lord Ezra asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What proposals they made at the Johannesburg Earth Summit on clean energy; and with what effect.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): My Lords, the summit made a commitment to develop and to disseminate alternative energy technologies with the aim of giving a greater share of the energy mix to renewable energies, improving energy efficiency and placing greater reliance on advanced energy technologies, including cleaner fossil fuel technologies. The Government supported the European Union proposal that renewables should contribute 15 per cent of total global energy use by 2010. Unfortunately that was not accepted by countries opposed to a target.
Lord Ezra: My Lords, while noting with satisfaction the positive role played by the United Kingdom and other EU members, does the Minister agree, as he implied in his Answer, that it was a little disappointing that the outcome of the summit on the subject of clean energy did not go further, and that after hours of fruitless negotiation there was a failure to agree targets for renewable energy, although many of the countries present have had such targets for a long time?
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: My Lords, clearly it was disappointing that we were not able to agree a target. We wanted one, but there was opposition from the United States and the G7 countries. The US accepted
the targets on water and sanitation but not on renewables. We were disappointed. Targets are of great value in making firm commitments, but we were not able to achieve one.
The Lord Bishop of Hereford: My Lords, can the Minister confirm that the United Kingdom Government have expressed their support for the policy of contraction and convergence, as set out by the Global Commons Institute, as an equitable, scientifically-based energy policy? Did our representatives at Johannesburg speak in favour of contraction and convergence? Are the Government committed to try to enlist the support of other governments for that policy?
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: My Lords, we want the developing and the developed countries to take the targets seriously, out of which a convergence would be achieved, but such a move has to take place on both sides.
Lord Razzall: My Lords, while sympathising with Her Majesty's Government in their failure to achieve their policy objectives at Johannesburg in this area, can the Minister indicate what further steps the Government have in mind to achieve the policy of targets for clean energy, rather than the aims and objectives that we have now?
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: My Lords, the noble Lord poses two questions. We shall seek to implement the agreements reached. While targets were not involved, there was agreement on what we should try to achieve, which was why, at Johannesburg, we initiated the renewable energy and energy efficiency partnership. We shall take that forward in the months and years ahead. As part of REEP—the renewable energy and efficiency partnership—from 2003 we shall make available export credit guarantees. The department will provide £50 million worth of agreed credits for exports in the energy area. We also have our own targets for clean energy in this country.
Lord Palmer: My Lords, does the Minister agree that biofuels have an important role to play in meeting the Government's target in relation to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions?
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Yes, my Lords, I believe that biofuels have a role to play, although I also believe that any achievement on the targets we are considering will rely on a range of fuels that are coming forward in different areas. For that reason we shall have an R&D programme that seeks to provide clean energy over a whole range. We cannot rely on one energy source to provide that.
Lord Howell of Guildford: My Lords, can the Minister assure the House that any clean energy targets will not include covering the hills and dales of
England and Wales with unsightly wind farms that require a continuous back-up of fossil fuel energy, as wind is not a reliable generator of electricity?
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: My Lords, clearly wind turbines have a considerable part to play in the production of clean energy. In the nature of the debate, everyone is in favour of particular sources of energy so long as they are not in their back garden. Unfortunately, compromises will have to be made if clean energy targets are to be achieved. It cannot be done on a costless basis.
Lord Rea: My Lords, what progress has been made in funding research for wave energy, which is a promising form of clean energy? Twenty years ago research funding for such energy was seriously cut by the previous government. Is the Minister aware of the findings of the Science and Technology Committee in another place that that was an extremely promising area, funding for which should be increased?
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: My Lords, as the noble Lord knows, we are rapidly increasing the amount of money spent on renewables. Spending will increase from £11 million in 1997–98 to £109 million in 2003–04 and £170 million in 2004–05. Recently, the Secretary of State for the Department of Trade and Industry commissioned a review of the UK's public energy research from the Chief Scientist. He reviewed the R&D that was being carried out and produced a report which fed into the PIU review of energy policy. In that report he identified wave energy as being promising; it is an area we shall support with extra money for R&D.
Lord Dubs: My Lords, is my noble friend aware that at the recent Labour Party conference in Blackpool some effective lobbying was carried out on renewables and on helping us to meet our environmental objectives? The general feeling was that the Government are undertaking the right actions, but that a push is required to make people aware of the benefits, for example, of hybrid cars that are petrol and electricity driven, or the benefits of solar panels. Can the Government provide that push, given that their policies are moving in the right direction?
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: My Lords, the noble Lord is right. We have demanding targets for renewable energy. Reaching them will be challenging and how we do so will be set out in greater detail in the White Paper due to be published around the turn of the year. Undoubtedly, we shall have to put a great deal more effort into achieving the renewable energy targets.
Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill
3.7 p.m.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Filkin): My Lords, I beg to move the Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper. In doing so I shall offer a brief explanation of why we are proposing a slight change to the normal order of consideration of the Bill. As the House knows, the Government are tackling a complex and changing problem in terms of immigration and asylum. Over the summer events have taken place, requiring further action. We have identified further actions that we believe are necessary.
I apologise to the House for making these changes at this relatively late date, but we believe that it is important to use the Bill to take all necessary steps to address the challenge.
In practice the Motion moves Part 3 and Part 5 to later in the order of consideration, to give adequate time for the House to consider the amendments. I expect the final amendments to be tabled in the next day or so. This morning I wrote to all Peers seeking to set out a fuller explanation as to why we are doing this.
Moved, That the amendments for the Report stage be marshalled and considered in the following order:
Clauses 1 to 3, Schedule 1, Clauses 4 to 13, Schedule 2, Clauses 14 to 39, Clauses 55 to 71 Clauses 106 to 112, Schedule 8, Clauses 113 to 140, Clauses 40 to 51, Schedule 3, Clauses 52 to 54, Clause 72, Schedule 4, Clauses 73 to 91, Schedule 5, Clauses 92 to 103, Schedules 6 and 7, Clauses 104 and 105, Clauses 141 to 144, Schedule 9, Clauses 145 to 147.—(Lord Filkin.)
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